


Happy Birthday

by seveillon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Birthday, Christmas, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Levi's Birthday, M/M, Short One Shot, unedited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:30:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3234632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seveillon/pseuds/seveillon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The members of the Survey Corps throw a surprise party for Levi, and it goes about as well as you would expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday

Headquarters was bustling with activity as last minute decorations were strung across the walls, presents were wrapped, and the alcohol was brought out. Candles glowed from every available flat surface and wall mount. Fresh garlands of pine were hanging in strings, cascading down the wall, filling the room with an evergreen scent. A canvas banner was rolled up in one corner. The new recruits had decorated it in large letters exclaiming “Happy birthday, Heichou!” Hanji was making the cake, but Christa was sent in as backup. They’d probably add some crazy, experimental substance that was supposed to make it taste good and blow the whole kitchen to shambles. It seemed to be going well, if the loud crashes and Christa’s curses were anything to go by. Soon, Mike would be returning with Levi, hopefully with some meat they could cook up for supper. It had been his job to keep Levi away for a few hours as they finished their preparations.

“Eren,” Mikasa called. “Help me hang this banner up.” They grabbed some nails and hammered the corners into the wall, having no other option with the stonewalls.

“That’s going to be a bitch to take down later. Why’d you guys have to go and make this anyway?” Eren complained.

“It wasn’t my idea. Sasha and the others wanted to do something special. Things haven’t been too peachy around here, if you failed to notice.” She was referring to the issues with the MPs. “Besides, its not every day your captain turns… whatever,” she waved her hand dismissively, still not overtly fond of Levi. Eren knew it would pass. Those two were just so similar, Mikasa needed to adjust and eventually forgive Levi for beating him up.

When Connie, who was placed on lookout, came crashing through the door shouting, “They’re here!” the energy in the room immediately racked up a few levels. Anticipation crept in as every one ran to their position, ready to jump out and surprise Levi. “Hanji, Christa! Get out of the kitchen!” Hanji emerged, coated from head to foot in flour, glasses askew, and hair a mess. Christa followed behind, eyes wider than usual, looking no better.

“That cake better be done,” someone said.

“Oh, it is, don’t you worry!” Hanji assured.

Eren got to his spot, but couldn’t help the feeling of unease that crept into his gut. It wasn’t the cake, or how Levi would react to Hanji and Christa’s uncleanliness, or even his doubtfulness over whether Levi would like his present or not (and Jean assured him that tea leaves were not an acceptable present). It just didn’t feel right. They were missing teammates. Their deaths cast a dark shadow over the festivities, no matter how hard every one else tried to hide it. Besides, Levi didn’t seem like someone who enjoyed parties in the first place.

But it was too late to stop it now. The door opened. Mike and Levi walked in, a string of rabbits between them.

“Surprise!” Every one shouted, jumping up and throwing colored paper. 

Levi’s expression barely changed, except for a slight widening of his eyes, but Mike burst out laughing. He took the rabbits from Levi, and slapped him on the back. “Happy birthday, man. Try to enjoy it.” Mike gave Levi a pointed look before setting off the kitchen. 

Hanji approached Levi first, ushering him to the table where there was tea and whiskey. Levi sat, and waved them away politely, dusting off the flour that had fallen off their uniform and onto the table. He reached for the whiskey first.

While Mike cooked the rabbit stew every one went up to give Levi their presents. Sasha gave him some of her jerky. Jean had made a new broom. Although Eren thought he should’ve just kept it because Levi will just make him clean with it anyway. Mikasa crafted some sort of sword polish for him, and Hanji, Mike, and Erwin had some new leather gloves made for him.

Eren was about to go up with his bag of tea leaves when Mike emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming pot of stew. “Dinner is served!” A stack of bowls miraculously appeared on the table next to the pot, along with silverware. The aroma of potatoes, carrots, and meat wafted through the air, converging the ravenous crowd to the table. Eren stood back from the group to wait his turn, always weary of possible titan accidents, so he was able to see Levi use the commotion as a cover to steal away.

It was easy for Eren to slip out after Levi, but harder to keep his footsteps in synch with the shorter man’s. They were about at his door when Levi suddenly turned around. “What do you want, Jaeger?”

Annoyance glinted off those grey eyes, making Eren’s steps falter. “Uh…” Why exactly had he followed Levi out here? Oh, yeah! The present! Obviously. “Yes sir, uh, yes. I never got to give you your gift.” Eren’s hands scrambled to his pocket, clumsily pulling out the bag of tea. “Its just tea. But I put some extra herbs in it. I hope you like it.”

Levi very carefully took the bag, sniffing at it delicately. His eyebrows lifted, and he said a bit surprised, “This actually smells really good.” The grey eyes darted to the door. “Would you like to come in for a cup?”

Eren nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak. He’d never been to Levi quarters before. Levi held the door open for him, allowing Eren to walk in and survey the room. It was more impeccably clean than he thought it would be. There didn’t seem to be a speck of dust, or an item that didn’t need to be there. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. There was a fireplace, bookcases, a desk covered with reports, and a bed neatly made. Eren looked around for a place to sit, but only saw the chair behind the desk, so he tentatively made his way over to the bed. It was much softer than the one in his dungeon.

Levi swung a metal arm into the fireplace. Eren noticed there was a kettle attached to the end. He didn’t say anything, nerves enhancing the uncomfortable silence to the point he could cut it with a knife. If Levi wanted to talk he could initiate it. Better that than overstep his bounds.

It didn’t take long for it to boil and Levi to transfer the water to a pot. Two cups appeared from one of the desk drawers. “So tell me, Eren,” Levi finally spoke, “What did you put in here?” The light amber tea poured from the spout into the cups. Levi passed one to Eren, the other he examined, swirling the liquid around under his nose, inhaling the steam.

“Well, sir, it’s a mixture of lemongrass, rosehips, hibiscus, lemon peel, some fennel, and cinnamon actually.”

“And where did you learn to make something so good?”

“It’s my mother’s recipe.”

Levi’s grey eyes peered over the cup. “She died when the titans first broke through the wall, didn’t she?”

“Yes, sir.”

Silence settled over the room again, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Instead it felt remorseful. Eren took a deep breath, trying to relieve the squeezing pain he felt constricting his heart. “I miss them.”

They both knew the “them” Eren was referring to. It wasn’t just his mother, it wasn’t just everyone the Survey Corps had lost to the titans. It was Petra, Eld, Gunther, and Oluo.

“Me too, kid.”

“Don’t call me that!” Eren snapped. “I’m not a child! I have these unbelievable powers. Titan powers I could’ve used to protect them, to save them, so they could be here with us tonight. But I didn’t! I failed them! Dammit! I got them killed.” He broke off in a sob, angry tears pooling over his eyes.

Levi slammed down his cup. “You are just a kid, Eren. That’s why things turned out this way. You did what you thought best with your knowledge and they did the same.” Heated footsteps brought an incensed Levi standing in front of Eren. “I promise you I will do everything in my power to capture the female titan. There will be no escape for her. And our friends’ deaths will be meaningful.”

They stared at each other, glaring silently, each blaming themselves for the misfortune of their fallen comrades.

“I-“ Eren began to say. 

“Oh shut up! Don’t you think I should’ve been there?” Levi yelled. That made Eren pause for a second. Of course he had thought that, but Levi had been with the female titan. It wasn’t his fault. It was Eren’s. When she came back… “Don’t you think I wish I could’ve been there?” Levi whispered, pain shattering his voice.

Some unknown emotion, maybe their shared trauma, or hidden need for companionship, made Eren reach out his a hand to touch Levi’s fingertips. The sensation made the older man jump and look down in surprised. “I’m sorry,” Eren apologized. Sincerity seeped into his tone. He understood the pain and the self-blame.

Levi’s grey eyes closed slowly, reveling in relief. It was nice to talk to someone who understands about his burdens. His cold fingers of one hand laced themselves through Eren’s warmer ones, while his other hand plucked the tea cup out of Eren’s grasp and placed it onto the floor and out of their way.

The closeness made Eren skittish, and he swallowed hard around a lump in his throat. “I should probably return to my… dungeon room.” The bitterness was hard to keep out of his voice.

Levi nodded in agreement. “Yes, probably. But, if you wouldn’t mind, it might be nice to have some company tonight.” He squeezed Eren’s hand reassuringly. Nothing bad would happen to him as long as he was there.

Eren’s hazel eyes widen in disbelief, but he felt himself nodding and sliding back on the bed to make room for Levi. The bed dipped under Levi’s additional weight and it took some adjustment until they were both comfortable. It was awkward, and Eren laughed at the sheer absurdity of the situation, which earned him a quick elbow to the ribs. “Shut up, you,” Levi mumbled, before finally laying down next to him.

They lay down face to face, staring at each other until their breathing evened out. Eren reached out again to clasp Levi’s hand, and stroked his thumb over the surprisingly soft skin. “I think I can do this,” he admitted. “I don’t want to be afraid or unsure anymore.” 

Levi practically snorted. “Just don’t be stupid, follow my orders, and hopefully we’ll all come out alive.”

**Author's Note:**

> Literally, this was unedited and I may have been celebrating Levi's birthday alone and slightly buzzed but I wanted to put it up. And yay for canonverse!


End file.
